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Loyola at a Glance

Farmers Market Celebrates Mardi Gras with King Cake Contest

February 1, 2008

The Loyola University New Orleans-based Crescent City Farmers Market celebrates delicious local pastry traditions and Carnival Season with the annual King Cake Bakery Contest at 700 Magazine on Saturday, February 2. Celebrity tasters, food writer Todd Price of Offbeat, Windsor Court Executive Chef Greg Sonnier, and Pastry Chef Mary Sonnier, will be on hand to judge each bakery’s prized entry for the best King Cakes in town. Shoppers will also have the opportunity to cast their vote for the “people's choice” winners.

The Farmers Market will run from 8 to 11 a.m. (to allow for vendors and shoppers to get home for the parades). The King Cake contest will be from 9:30 to 10 a.m. for celebrity judges to taste and decide who is best in two categories: traditional and French style. The contest will be open to shoppers from 10 to 10:30 a.m. and ballots will be put out for the “shoppers choice” awards. The market bell will ring an hour early at 11 a.m. leaving only empty boxes of delicious pastries.

“Nothing represents Mardi Gras food culture like the king cake,” says marketumbrella.org Manager of Markets Erin Eastern. “New Orleanians have always debated over which bakery does it best; it’s one of our most popular vendor events and biggest shopping days because our Uptown Square Market is closed for Fat Tuesday.”

The Saturday Crescent City Farmers Market opens at 8 a.m. and closes at noon; (11 a.m. this weekend.) Located at 700 Magazine Street, it is open every Saturday morning, rain or shine. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (504) 861-5898 or visit www.marketumbrella.org

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